A Local’s Guide to Planning a Seattle Brewery Tour of Ballard (With a Map!)

If you’re looking to go on a Seattle brewery tour, the Ballard neighborhood is the place to do it. I remember the sudden appearance of all the Ballard breweries: I was living with my sister at the time, and we’d sometimes walk through the neighborhood to downtown Ballard for the farmers market, passing by homes and empty-looking warehouses.

Then, one day, there was a brewery. It was in a sparse warehouse with the garage door thrown open. Since my brother-in-law brews beer, you could imagine our excitement. Especially when another one opened. Then another. And another.

Now there are 16 breweries and 3 taprooms in Ballard. Most of them seem randomly placed on home-lined streets, but it’s the perfect setup for a self-guided Seattle brewery tour (or a “crawl” if you will!) and most of them are family-friendly.

But since there are so many Ballard breweries, it can be daunting to figure out which ones you should go to. And which ones you should go to might change depending on who you’re rolling with.

So here’s a list of all the Ballard breweries, which are my favorites, and insights into what to expect at all of them. I also share a Seattle brewery map to give you a sense of place. Consider this the only guide you need for a fun day of beer tasting at the Ballard breweries.

The Ultimate Seattle Brewery Tour of Ballard

I’ve been to just about all of these Ballard breweries and have favorites, which I labeled below. Most of them create 100% Ballard brewed beers, so it doesn’t get much more local than that!

Also, consider doing tasters. There are so many awesome beers at each stop. I rarely get a full pint…I just continually go back and get samplers!

Obec Brewing

website | cross streets: 11th Ave NW & NW 52nd St | best known for: malty-style beers

Obec (prounounced “Oh-betz”) is the Czech word for “community”. This microbrewery is different than most of the other Ballard breweries because it’s 21+ and pretty posh as far as breweries in a warehouse go. There are dim lights, makeshift couches made out of crates, and a big chandelier.

I go here weekly while my niece is at gymnastics nearby. I really love their selection of beers and moody vibes. They make great beer that even the pickiest beer lovers will enjoy. They also have vinyl nights, where you can bring your own or pick a record from their collection.

Beer to try: If available, try one of their saison, Belgian dubbel, or Belgian strong golden. All are malty, magical goodness with deep complex flavors.

Lucky Envelope Brewing

website | cross streets: 9th Ave NW & NW 50th St | best known for: casual atmosphere and well-executed beers

Lucky Envelope Brewing is a no frills, laid back Ballard microbrewery. It’s one of my favorite of the bunch because I have yet to try a craft beer I don’t like. Sure it doesn’t have the ambiance like some of their neighbors, but what it lacks in decor it makes up for in impeccable beers. And they also have some toys and board games to entertain little ones.

Beer to try: If available, try their Two Pepper Pale Ale. This seasonal beer features habanero and shishito peppers. You can actually taste the pepper and bite from the habanero. I love spicy drinks, so this is right up my alley.

Fair Isle Brewing Co.

website | cross streets: NW 49th St & 11 Ave NW | best known for: farmhouse style beers & hip vibes

Fair Isle is one of Ballard’s newest craft breweries. It’s hip as hell with a minimal, hipster interior of concrete floors and moody colors, plus a dreamy Instagram feed. I could go to town taking photos in here!

They create farmhouse style beer, using a unique crafting brewing technique that leverages wild yeasts from the Pacific Northwest. This is one of the other Ballard brewery that’s 21+, so it’s not a good fit for your Seattle brewery tour if you have kids in tow.

Urban Family Brewing Co.

website | cross streets: NW 52nd St & 11 Ave NW | best known for: sour beers

Urban Family is the brewery that opened most recently in Ballard, but they actually moved from Magnolia into a huge modern warehouse space across from Stoup. They have a 21+ upstairs, but allow kids. They focus on sours and IPA, particularly ones with interesting fruit bases like boysenberry. If you have a person who is usually a beer hater but open to trying them, this might be the best stop for them on your self-guided Seattle brewery tour.

Stoup

website | cross streets: 11th Ave NW & NW 52nd St | best known for: IPAs

Stoup is another brewery that offers a rotating selection of taps and food trucks. Like most of the other breweries, it started in just a small warehouse but has since expanded. They started in a humble warehouse, but since expanded their outdoor patio to include a beer garden with fun ambiance that makes it one of the neighborhood’s most popular spots.

Stoup isn’t my favorite brewery because they’re usually packed and I don’t like IPAs, their bread and butter. However, they are critically-acclaimed for their IPAs, so if your group has IPA beer lovers, head here.

Beer to try: A sampler of their IPAs.

Reuben’s Brews

website | cross streets: 14th Ave NW & NW 51st St | best known for: insane crowds

I’d argue Reuben’s is everyone in Seattle’s favorite Ballard brewery. It’s one of the Ballard neighborhood’s most popular spots, so this place gets crowded because most people’s self-guided tour begins at Reuben’s. I recommend trying to go here on off peak days or times if possible.

I’ve never had a beer here I don’t like, but I don’t have a go-to beer and the crowds give me anxiety, so that’s why I don’t include it as one of my favorites. But it’s crowded for good reason. They make really good beer in a bunch of different varieties. They also have some board games, a big screen TV, and a food truck parked outside on the weekends.

Cloudburst Brewing

website | cross streets: NW Market St & Shilshole Ave NW | best known for: interesting IPAs

Cloudburst Brewing is Ballard’s newest craft brewing spots. I haven’t been here yet, but am very excited for this addition. They started downtown near Pike Place Market, an area I’m not around too often. So now that they are closer to me in Ballard, a visit is in order.

The owner used to brew for Elysian Brewing, but spun off to create bright, seasonal IPAs and a few other varietals like porters. This location allows kids up until 6 pm. After hours, it becomes a 21+ only brewery.

Old Stove Brewing

website | cross streets: 17th Ave NW & NW 49th St | best known for: being that awesome brewery in Pike Place

One of the best Pike Place Market restaurants and breweries recently opened up another brewhouse in Ballard. They have a stunning outdoor beer garden lined with string lights and plants that feels like a little oasis in industrial Ballard. You can expect all the same great beers at their Pike Place location, but with a less tourist-filled space.

Bickersons Brewhouse

website | cross streets: 15th Ave NW & Leary Way NW | best known for: a healthy dose of Belgian-style ales

Bickersons brewhouse is a Renton-based brewery that opened a tasting room in the older Peddler Brewing Company location in Ballard. Owners Shaunn and Frank turned a hobby into a full-fledged bewery and have a varied menu of Belgians, porters, IPAs, sours, and more. I haven’t been yet, but am excited to try their Belgians!

Great Notion Brewing

website | cross streets: 14th Ave NW & NW 51st St | best known for: hazy IPAs and sours

Great Notion is the newest addition to the Seattle brewery tour scene. They started in Portland, Oregon and now have a few different locations throughout the Pacific Northwest. There first move to Seattle was to the Georgetown neighborhood, but now they have two tasting rooms after opening their second on in Ballard in 2020.

They describe their beers as “hazy, fruit-forward IPAs and ‘culinary-inspired’ sours & stouts”. Many of their barrel-aged beers use fruits from the Pacific Northwest, such as pinot noir wine grapes or cherries.

Bale Breaker & Yonder Cider Taproom

website | cross streets: 9th Ave NW & NW 49th St | best known for: hoppy beers and ciders

The newest addition to the Ballard Seattle brewery tour scene is a joint venture between a brewery out in Yakima and a local cider company. They took over the old Populuxe space right in the heart of the brewery district. Like Populuxe, it has a large outdoor beer garden area perfect for sipping in the sun.

Yonder Cider opened in their garage in Phinney. They serve excellent, not-to-sweet hard ciders made with Washington apples. Fun fact, owner Caitlin is a friend of a friend who started a female entrepreneur Facebook group. Caitlin asked for feedback on their logo and packaging before launch, so I got a little sneak peak before the public.

Bale Breaker grows hops at its location in Yakima, so you can expect a lot of hoppy IPAs. Since they’re friends with Yonder, they decided to go in on a joint venture to open a new tasting room.

Wheelie Pop Brewing

website | cross streets: 11th Ave NW & NW 50th St | best known for: using PNW and North American malts and hops

Wheelie Pop is one of the newer Seattle breweries in Ballard. It’s owned by Jeremy and Mark, two friends with a love of motorcycles. The name actually comes from what they used to call wheelies when they were kids: “wheel pops”.

They have a variety of beer types on tap at any given time. You’ll find IPAs, pilsners, stouts, and ambers. What makes them unique is that they source their ingredients from as close to home as possible, meaning you may find Italian pilsners made with Pacific Northwest malts.

Distant West Brewing

website | cross streets: 14th Ave NW & NW 53th St | best known for: using PNW and North American malts and hops

Distant West is the newest brewery on the Seattle brewery scene in Ballard. They took over the old Rueben’s space and have a wide variety of exploratory beers, plus a healthy dose of IPAs and pale ales. The brewery was named after owner Greg’s grandfather who wrote about migrating to the great west from Ireland in the 1910s. So obviously Greg wants to honor him with plenty of west coast-style beers.

Maritime Pacific Brewery & Jolly Roger Taproom

website | cross streets: 11th Ave NW & NW Ballard Way | best known for: lagers with a pirate vibe

The Jolly Roger Taproom has been open since I’ve lived in Seattle. Opened in 1990, it’s another one of the OG breweries in Seattle and Ballard. It reminds me of one of those sort-of-dive-bars, sort-of-family-pubs that you’d find down the shore on the east coast. There’s a lot of dark wood and a pirate vibe.

Pour Decisions

website | cross streets: 15th Ave NW & NW 80th St | best known for: a quiet neighborhood vibe

This spot is in an unassuming spot on busy 15th Ave toward Crown Hill. It’s not within walking distance from the other breweries, but it’s a good spot if you want a quiet place to grab a beer. You’ll find both Crucible Brewing and Sound Bite Cider under one roof, so it’s good for people who have different tastes in beverages.

Pike Taproom

website | cross streets: Ballard Ave NW & NW Vernon Pl | best known for: big production brews

Pike Brewing is probably one of the most recognizable breweries in Seattle thanks to their prime Pike Place Market location. They opened up a downtown Ballard taproom to get some of their famous brews and some guest taps.

More Ballard tap rooms

Here are spots that don’t brew their own beer, but that serve a bunch of local beers on tap.

Trailbend Taproom

website | cross streets: 11th Ave NW & NW 50th St | best known for: being the most restaurant-like place of the bunch

Trailbend isn’t a brewery, but a taproom that offers a selection of more than 40 beers on draft. More than half of them are local to Washington or Oregon, but there are also a few international pours.

If you think your group would appreciate more posh ambiance and restaurant-like food, come here. There are large tables big enough for large groups and they have a pretty extensive, Italian-leaning menu. If you plan to eat here, get the meatball sandwich or meatball appetizer.

Beer to try: Any of the local craft beers not in the Ballard area, such as Holy Mountain or Cloudburst if on tap

Skål Beer Hall

website | cross streets: NW Market St & Ballard Ave NW | best known for: serious Viking vibes

Skål is one of the newest additions to the Seattle beer scene. It’s not a brewery, but a viking-inspired beer hall in downtown Ballard known for its food and quirky events for Nordic enthusiasts. If you love exploring Seattle craft beer bars, you’ll like this spot.

Ballard Beer Box

website | cross streets: NW Market St & 26th Ave NW | best known for: unique beers and pizza

Ballard Beer Box is one of the newer bottle shops among the Ballard beer scene. They have a show-stopping wall with tropical wallpaper and plenty of seating both inside and in the large back patio. You’ll find a great selection of beers on tap or in cases that you can enjoy onsite with a nominal corkage fee. They have some of my favorites like Garden Path Fermentation out of Skagit and Crux and Ale Apothecary out of Bend.

The other best thing about this spot is that they make excellent pizza. They ferment the dough themselves for 3 days and create 12″ pies in a small oven. You’ll find classics, but don’t miss their funky topping options.

Seattle brewery tour itineraries

Here is how I’d spend the ultimate day beer tasting on a Seattle brewery tour, depending if my nieces are in tow are not. Reference my Seattle brewery map below to see how far each of these breweries are from each other.

Family-friendly tour of Seattle breweries

• Start at Rueben’s for a lot of space and games.
• Head to Urban Family Brewing for crowds to drown out rowdy children.
• End at Yonder Cider & Bale Breaker Brewing with plenty of outdoor space for the kids to run around.

Adult Seattle brewery tour

• Start at the 21+ Obec Brewing for mellow vibes and conversation.
• Saunter over to 21+ Fair Isle Brewing and grab a bite from one of the awesome popups they usually host
• Head to Lucky Envelope to try different beers in a brighter, but still low-key atmosphere. Note they allow kids, but there’s not as much space.

Get a custom brewery tour

Want a customized itinerary just for you? I’m a licensed travel planner and would love to help you explore Seattle’s beer scene.

Ballard, Seattle brewery map

The majority of the Ballard breweries take up about a 6-by-12 block area in the residential area of Ballard. There are currently 16 breweries and 6 taprooms. Here they are all laid on a Seattle brewery map.

Transportation for your Seattle brewery tour of Ballard

There’s plenty of street parking if you want to drive and walk between the Ballard breweries, but if you plan on boozing for the day I recommend alternative options like ride sharing or the bus. The bus lines that stop nearby are the 44, 28X, D, 40, and 15X. You could bring a bike and ride between the breweries, but again, be safe friends.

You might have also seen the comical Cycle Saloon around Ballard. It’s a 15-person covered wagon that people pedal like a bike to move. They offer Seattle brewery tours of the Ballard breweries, which I did with my sister and her friends.

If you’re wondering, I don’t think it’s worth it. It’s quite expensive for a short amount of time and it doesn’t include any beer in the price. Plus you can’t bring beer on the vehicle (which was a disappointing surprise). So while it’s funny and a quirky way to explore the area, I’d say only do it if you can get on one for free.

Once you’re at the Ballard breweries, you can easily walk between them to do your own Seattle brewery tour. There’s a cluster of them between between NW 52nd St & 49th St, so if some people in your group can’t handle walking between the mile range to visit all the Ballard breweries in this guide, stay in that area. Reference my Seattle brewery map above for guidance!

BONUS: Tasting with a beer hater?

I’ll be honest, I don’t understand these people. But if you have beer haters in your crew, or maybe you just want to change it up, there are some options for places to stop during your Seattle brewery tour.

Besides the many bars and cocktail bars in downtown Ballard, there’s also Domanico Cellars and Wildwood Spirits.

We hosted my sister’s (Jersey Shore-themed) 40th birthday party at Domanico, which is in walking distance of most of the Ballard breweries. They have really good red wines in an unassuming warehouse with strings of white lights. I haven’t been to Locust Cider Taproom yet, but it’s a new cider place that opened in downtown Ballard. Plus a lot of the breweries will have guest taps, oftentimes featuring cider alongside beers.

Basically, you can rest assured there is something for everyone at the Ballard breweries. I’ll continue to update this guide as new places open or close. What are your favorites? Did I happen to miss any? Let me know in the comments!

More ideas for crawls & self-guided Seattle tours

Like more than just beer? Here are some other ideas for self-guided tours of Seattle.

• Go on a self-guided Seattle food tour of either Ballard or Fremont, two of my favorite neighborhoods.
• Explore the best Seattle urban wineries for a day of wine tasting
• Take a day trip and explore the best Woodinville wineries about 30 minutes from Seattle.

Photos courtesy of the breweries and the following sources: Cascadian Beer Podcast (Lucky Envelope),All About Beer (Stoup), and Casey Boothman (Trailbend)